Jose Antonio Hermida (Multivan Merida) loves racing at Mont-Sainte-Anne(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Burry Stander (South Africa) leads Jose Antonio Hermida (Spain)(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Jose Antonio Hermida (Multivan Merida) had a pedal mechanical problem that cost him many places.(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Jose Hermida (Merida) leads a group up the long opening climb(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Nino Schurter (Scott Swisspower) looks over at his sprint rival Jose Hermida (Multivan Merida)(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Spaniard José Hermida has signed for two more years with the Multivan Merida Biking Team. The former cross country mountain bike world champion has been riding with the team since 2004.
Since joining the team, Hermida has been a regular contender on the international racing circuit. He won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and won the world championship in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada in 2010. He has earned multiple European championships and finished in the top five of the World Cup year after year.
2012 was no different as the Spaniard finished the season in a fifth overall World Cup position. At the Olympic Games in London, he crossed the finish line in fourth, only five seconds behind the bronze medallist Marco Aurelio Fontana. Now the 34-year-old Spaniard has signed for two more years with the Multivan Merida Biking Team.
"For the next two years, my goals remain unchanged: Of course, I want to continue competing at the very top in the cross country World Cup. On top of that I plan to start at select marathon and stage races such as the Cape Epic in South Africa."
By dominating last year's Andalucia Bike Race stage race from start to finish, Hermida has already shown that he is competitive in these kind of races as well.
"The team management has set the course for the future going into the next season. For me, it's going to be both interesting and challenging to be on the same team as highly talented athletes such as Rudi van Houts, Thomas Litscher and Ondrej Cink," said Hermida. "I'm sure that we will push each other to even better performances and get the chance to learn from each other."
"Knowing that I can fully rely on an ideal team to me is just as important as having the best equipment at hand. As the Multivan Merida Biking Team has been giving me both throughout the last years, I never thought about changing anything."
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Team manager Andreas Rottler is enthusiast about the contract extension.
"José's successes and his consistency at the top of the sport of mountain biking are truly unique. Ever since he joined our team in 2004, he has been part of the world's elite. I expect him to guide our team's two talented new signings to the top of the sport throughout the next two seasons. And of course the young riders will put some pressure on him as well, ensuring that he keeps on showing the kind of top performances that he has become known for."
